


Almost Death By Glamour

by KarkatHorns



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Burgerpants is depressed, Burgerpants smokes a lot, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Marijuana, Mettamom, Mettaton does some stupid things, Mettaton is a hard worker and surprisingly can be quite stressed offstage, Nicepants will show up in later chapters, Other, Substance Abuse, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2016-10-03
Packaged: 2018-05-10 04:03:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5570290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KarkatHorns/pseuds/KarkatHorns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"An employee of the MTT Corporation was found almost dead in his home today- with medical professionals saying that this might be the result of too much stress in the work environment. Underworld star Mettaton Ex said he wouldn't comment on the situation, but posted on Social Media after the event that everyone should 'please stay calm' and that he would 'personally ensure the health of this employee.' Found in critical condition, this unidentified monster was found in their apartment on the brink of turning into dust by an unknown visitor, who then rushed him into the nearest Monster and Human hospital. More on Overworld news at 8/7 Central."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. All Out of Sick Days, Too.

**Author's Note:**

> I had absolutely zero intentions of posting this anywhere, ever. I gave a draft of this fic to my friend who demanded that I post it immediately so that one day I might actually finish it. Please keep in mind that this fic has a lot of pretty heavy trigger warnings. It will lighten up as the chapters move on, though. Some really sweet and touching moments between your faves. Mettamom is great.

 

Burgerpants isn't in for work today, Mettaton notes with a bit of irritation. What a brat! He hadn't even called in sick. He is never late, so he likely either clocked in and left or went outside to see those junkyard girls again. 

 

Not to provoke a misunderstanding, but the junkyard girls are very nice. They stay in the back, and sure, they are selling on his property, but they are very sweet and have a charm to them. Mettaton might act high and mighty, but he really doesn't have it in his soul to kick the girls out or anything. He just pretends that he doesn't know they are there, ignoring all conversations about them. It's not that Burgerpants is talking to the girls that is bothering him. It's that when Burgerpants does things like this, he is really thoughtless about it. 

 

Mettaton loves to joke around. His jokes are sarcastic and pretty mean, and he knows that. And yet, Burgerpants has always been disrespectful in his own way. Mettaton can respect it when somebody has a crush. He isn't completely unreasonable, and he is a sucker for some good romance drama. So, when Burgerpants had snuck out of work to go and talk to the girls, he had been irritated that his little employee had done it in a rude way. 

 

First of all, he stole a ton of glamburgers from the shop. He didn't even pay for them. It's not even like he stole three, he stole over 20. And instead of getting a backpack or some kind of bag, he decided the best course of action would be to smuggle them in his pants. Then, he wonders why his boss got upset when one of his employees, with his pants full of stolen burgers that probably weren't all going to be eaten, went outside to check on him. Being called Burgerpants is his own fault, for not even bothering to think any of this through. The whole plan was even more poorly executed than the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. 

 

So, of course, Mettaton decides to check for his little employee outside of the new Hotel they had set up on the overworld. He is surprised when he... just can't seem to find him. 

 

Mettaton checks around the outskirts, quickly checks the camera, and even goes into the kitchen. He goes outside to see if his devious employee had left to go and smoke while on the job- it wouldn't be the first time. And yet, when Mettaton looks around, there is no sign of any smoke at all. No scent. No smoke. No ash on the ground, or sweeped to the side in the hopes that nobody will find it. The janitor cleans up every night, so it looks as if Burgerpants quite litterally just didn't show up for work today. 

 

Mettaton doesn't acknowledge the cleanliness of the kitchen. Burgerpants is supposed to scrub down the grills every single night before he goes home. He is also supposed to clean up the fridge and throw out any food that is too old to eat. Mettaton would never sell outdated or expired food to anybody. The kitchen in indeed clean, the grills ready to work and the glitter ready to be glued to the meat. Sequins are ready to be glued to the bun and everything. It's exactly how he expects it to be, and somehow this still doesn't satisfy him. 

 

Mettaton gets out his Bluetooth radio and puts it on the table. Burgerpants is probably just late! He didn't call in sick, so he is probably going to come in late. Probably really high, drunk, or a mix of the two. Mettaton grins at the thought. When he comes in late, he will joke around with Burgerpants and play his album. The album consisting of songs about how horrible Burgerpants is at his job. If he thinks he can come in over two hours late, then- 

 

Wait, two hours? That's a long time. Even for Burgerpants. Five minutes? Probably. Ten minutes? Maybe. Thirty minutes? Only if he is really high, drunk, or hungover. Over an hour? 

 

Well, that's new. 

 

Sure, Burgerpants isn't above being late. He has some pretty low morals and standards. Yet, he really doesn't want to be fired. He genuinely does want to keep the job. He doesn't think he can get hired anywhere else, especially because of his low self-esteem. He is careful not to talk with the customers. The glamburgers, despite everything, are done quite well. He might try to get away with things while on the job, but he has never *deliberately* tried to get fired. Really, that's what saves him. Mettaton isn't going to fire him if he still wants to work here. He might tease him and bother him quite a lot, but he wouldn't remove somebody from a job that needs the money. Mettaton is famous and lovely, so it would break anybody's heart to be fires by somebody so beautiful and luxurious. He wouldn't wish that on anybody. 

 

Mettaton waits about five minutes before becoming completely bored, and closes the grill for the day. Burgerpants is actually the only employee that actually works in that part of the hotel. Mettaton isn't going to lower himself to the level of flipping burgers. He also is really getting bored here without his favorite employee to torment. His reactions can be quite fun. He can never quite be sure what emotion Burgerpants will have on his face next. 

 

Burgerpants is late, so he probably isn't coming into work at all. He wouldn't bother at this point, really. It's just really weird for the little creature to not call in sick. Even if he is just lying, he usually makes an attempt so that nothing can be held against him for being gone for the day. Maybe he really does want to get fired. Or maybe he sucks worse at his job than Mettaton ever thought was possible. He doesn't really stop by to look at his employees that often- usually too busy with work, filming, writing, directing, managing something, repairs, and going clothes shopping. He wouldn't be surprised if the little rascal had done this on more than one occasion.  

Mettaton puts away the radio with a bit of a pout before going over to check in the clocking in times. He is a little startled to find that Burgerpants didn't come in the day before, either. He hadn’t noticed at all, really. Nobody told him that he wasn't in yesterday. His other staff writes an E on the date of the card if an employee gets sick and called in with an excuse of some sort. Burgerpants has some for earlier dates in the same month, but not for today or the day prior. Mettaton checks through the book to see that the sick days have been getting more and more frequent these past three months. Burgerpants must be playing hookie. Mettaton knows it can't just be some sort of strange series of coincidences. He will be sure to yell at the creature later for the pattern. Burgerpants just can't blow off work because he thinks he isnt going to get caught. Anybody else would fire him for this. 

 

Mettaton doesn't only check Burgerpants's file, of course. He is also interested in his other employees. Most of them have very good attendance, many with plenty of sick days remaining. Burgerpants has used up all of his besides one. That would be yesterday. Today, he doesn't even have any sick days to use anymore. Mettaton sighs at his worst employee, wondering how anybody in the world could work with somebody as gorgeous and sweet as Mettaton and still somehow manage to be completely miserable. He is the most amazing person on the planet, and he is quite sure that everybody knows it. He can't think of a single reason anybody wouldn’t want to be in his presence, for the smallest glimpse of the spotlight.  

 

Mettaton spent the rest of the day greeting guests, signing pictures and posters, going shopping, and even doing some yoga. He spent the day like a star, taking as many flattering pictures as possible and ensuring that every single one of his fans leaves feeling as beautiful as he knows that they are. He grins and even manages to send some messages between himself, his cousin, and the lovely Shyren. They're in the middle of a conversation when Mettaton gets a call over the intercom that rudely inturrupts him. 

 

"Sir, call waiting for you. Says they're a hospital calling about one of your employees. They say it is urgent," the voice calls.  

"Put them on the line, darling," Mettaton replies, his voice flirtatious and calm. On the inside though, he is quite startled. He has never had a hospital call him before. For anything, actually. 

 

\--- 

 

Mettaton nervously gets in his limo, telling the chauffeur to drive to the hospital. The name completely slips his mind. It's a really long distance away, being one of the only hospitals in the state that is daring enough to treat monsters alongside with humans. He wants to tell his chauffeur to hurry, but the car is already quite a ways over the speed limit.  

 

The hospital called saying that one of his employees had been found in bad condition. They told him that they could not explain any other details without him being there in person with all of his correct identification. He wasn't sure why they were calling him, of all people. Then, they had the audacity to say that they couldn't find any of his employee's legal documentation. They couldn't even find his real name- just a nametag with BURGERPANTS on it in print. There has been no way to identify him otherwise, and the only place with the name on file had been Mettaton's company. He has no known family, and even if he did, they wouldn’t be able to get it without the monster's birth name. Mettaton can't understand why the kid wouldn't have just given them his real name. He doesn't understand how bad the situation is. He had tried to push his celebrity status, but it wouldn't work. They said he needed to be there in person. He's the kid's boss, not a babysitter. 

 

Mettaton makes it to the distant hospital within another hour. It has already gotten very dark outside, his eye lighting up in the dark along with his soul, hidden under his clothes. It glows beneath them, making him seem a little eerie. He walks into the hospital alone, startled by the emptiness of the streets and the silence of the building. He walks over to the reception desk and answers many questions about his employee, though there are so many that it kind of makes his head spin. He doesn't know the answers to everything. Some of it is stuff they should have been able to ask BP directly. After answering the questions and showing his identification, he goes to sit down in the waiting room. 

This is going to be a long night. 


	2. Doctor, Doctor, Tell Me What's Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Burgerpants is delirious and still kind of drugged up. Mettaton helps as best as he can, but he feels like he is to blame for this situation in the first place. In other words, they both feel absolutely terrible and neither of them want to talk about it.

A doctor comes over to the robotic celebrity, making sure not to keep him waiting. She has a soft, cute face. Mettaton imagines her wearing some of the pretty blue dresses from his show. They would stick out beautifully with her dark skin and deep blue eyes. Her seriousness takes him off guard. Mettaton might be a celebrity, but he knows that face anywhere. When a doctor is being serious, it's really no time to joke around. It's a face that would shut him up completely if it had come from Alphys.  

 

"Are you Mettaton Glamour?" The doctor asks. Mettaton's voice is careful, but still a  little flirtatious. He is trying to focus on keeping his voice smooth so that he doesn't have the time to think about getting nervous. "In the flesh," he responds. Her expression doesn't change in the slightest. 

 

"What is your connection to the patient in question?" She asks, her voice well-calculated and careful. There is a softness to it, though.  

 

"Burgerpants is my employee. He has worked with my company since before Monsters came to the surface, about two and a half years ago. We take good care of him," Mettaton replies. His voice is cautious, unsure of what to expect from the doctor before him. 

 

"Your employee is in critical condition, I am afraid," she finally says, sitting down across from Mettaton. He can feel his soul sink a little in his core. Critical condition? That's not good. The doctor continues to speak. There is another lady there. She is a social worker, but Mettaton decides to himself that if he ignores her, she will go away on her own. She doesn’t. 

 

"The patient was found this morning with severe lacerations across his arms and wrists. He was very intoxicated when he arrived, as well as under the influence of marijuana. Upon arrival, his stomach needed to be pumped, as he was beginning to overdose from a mixture of sleeping pills and pills intended for weight loss. He is very lucky to be alive," the doctor explains. Mettaton squeezes his hands into fists. Pills are mostly a human thing, and can get monsters sick quite easily. Monster food feeds the soul, while human food feeds the body. Human pills correct specific problems with the body, and because Monsters' bodies are made of magic, human pills mainly mess with the flow of magic and can be very harmful. Magic pills are meant to correct something wrong with the flow of magic or aura of determination in the body, but they are very hard to obtain. Burgerpants probably took a ton of human pills, knowing that they would mess with his monster body really bad if he took a lot.

 

"Can I see him?" Mettaton manages. The doctor looks over and both her and the social worker study his reaction. He's obviously quite upset, but he is quite calm and stable. The doctor looks over at him, her blue eyes softening. 

 

"You can stay in his room for extended visiting hours for twenty four hours. However, he is unresponsive and might not wake up at all during your stay. Are you sure you would like to see him?" The doctor asks. Mettaton looks over at her, almost a little insulted, if anything. 

 

"Of course, darling." 

\--- 

 

Mettaton has been by Burgerpants's side for almost seven hours. He's kept himself plugged into the wall to continuously charge his robot body. He let himself rest at times, setting his timer so that he wakes every forty minutes. Burgerpants hasn't moved at all. Mettaton hadn't thought of leaving. He was the only one there. He had expected a family or some relatives to stop by, but, well, 

 

Nobody came. 

 

There isn't a heartbeat monitor, per se. There is a monitor that detects the pulsing of his soul. It's unrelated to speed, for the most part, although a soulbeat can become faster or slower depending on a monster's emotional state. There is no real set rate for them, though. The louder it is, the more determined the soul. The quieter it is, the closer a monster is to turning into Dust. BP's pulsing has been slow and tired sounding, a lot duller than any monster's should ever be.  

 

His fur is sticking to his face. His fur is matted together in some spots, and it looks like there is a spot of fur he had ripped out below his ears, which had to be bandaged because of the bleeding. His arms are covered in bandages, and the doctors lied his arms over the blanket that they gave him. There are bags under his eyes, dark despite the endless sleep he is getting. Mettaton can't help but feel his soul beating lower down in his chest, slower and sadder than it had been earlier today. He can't believe this is real. 

 

\--- 

 

The next time Mettaton wakes, it's because his sensors detect some movement and noise from the bed. 

 

Mettaton gets up, unplugging his back from the wall and closing the panel that runs along his spine. He goes over to the bed cautiously, looking over to Burgerpants. It's... really weird, seeing him hurt like that. It's not just the injuries that are getting to him, or that the 20-year-old needed a stomach pump. It's that, despite all of his time here, he learned something. Burgerpants doesn't have a family. In the nine hours he has stayed here, not a single monster or human being had come to visit the furry employee. He can hear Burgerpants choke out something, his soul's beating accelerating, but not getting any louder. That is not a promising sign. He needs to calm the kid down, and fast. 

 

Mettaton sits down next to the kid, leaning over and pressing a soft, gloved hand to his head. He is very careful not to touch any of the bandages, just gently running his fingers along the kid's head and cheek. His heavier breathing seems to ease, though he still doesn't wake up. He seems to calm down slightly, but his soul is still struggling. 

 

Mettaton can't really find any words to say, or anything that would help the kid from panicking in his sleep. BP's breathing is ragged and harsh, despite calming down. Mettaton starts to hum. It's really awkward at first, perhaps a little shaky. Then, he continues and focuses on softening his voice and keeping it smooth and quiet. He keeps gently petting the kid's face in front of him, trying to ease him a bit do that nothing bad happens to him on his watch. If the kid turned to dust in front of him, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. 

 

He keeps this up for a while. Twenty minutes, according to his clock. Burgerpants's soul had calmed down again, to a regular pace. It's not racing or rough, and its not the painfully slow speed that it was at earlier. It's a little stronger, now that he is starting to dream. The dark shadows under his eyes are still there, but they aren't so horrible anymore. The IVs are doing their job as well, Mettaton supposes. He has no idea what is in the IV, though. Monsters don't bleed. Some monsters can secrete liquid magic if they never use it much and get hurt. It just kind of builds up, and after an injury, it leaks out. Burgerpant's 'blood' of sorts doesn't really have a distinct color. Probably because he never uses his magic for anything. His body can't seem to figure out a color. It's making his bandages look a deep red or gross brown color.  It's really unsettling to look at. 

 

It takes five hours for Burgerpants to finally start slipping into consciousness. It's not like how it is in movies- it is a slow and painful process. Burgerpants is making weird noises, moving his fingers and wincing when he tries to move his arms. He moves his feet, twitches his tail, and just kind of tries to get his surroundings. He lets out a groan of pain at some point. Mettaton keeps stroking his head. It will allow for BP to focus on something, and ground himself while he slowly starts to wake up. 

 

He's really delirious at first. He keeps mumbling about something waking him up, repeating it over like a mantra. Mettaton lowers his humming so that it is barely audible, but still there. Burgerpants keeps trying to talk, but only fragments of speech will leave his mouth. 

 

"Can't.... Escape... Running... Can't... Leave....I.... They... Want.... Go..." he chokes out. Mettaton gently shooshes him, though he is afraid to say anything.  

 

Burgerpants lets out something akin to a gross sob. He tries to move around and squirm, his face contorting in pain and confusion. He is too weak to actually do anything, but it certainly scares the shit out of Mettaton. The robot moves forwards and grabs the creature's paws, giving them a bit of a squeeze. His claws are burying into Mettaton's gloves, but he keeps his grip firm.  

"Hey. Darling. Everything is going to be okay," he shooshes. Burgerpants keeps on squirming, though, grimacing and moving around. Mettaton begins to panic before he realizes that Burgerpants is trying to curl into a ball on his side. He pauses, before helping roll him onto his side. Burgerpants curls up, hugging his knees to his chest and curling his tail around the top of his legs. He's facing Mettaton, but his eyes are still closed. Mettaton hesitates, before leaning in and gently petting the (cat? bear?)'s back, continuing his humming again. Burgerpants eases up, though he also appears to be starting to cry. 

 

A nurse walks in. 

 

The nurse comes in to check up on Burgerpants and write some information about his vitals from the monitors. He is very careful and makes sure not to disturb Mettaton or Burgerpants. He checks the IV and makes sure that everything is in order. Burgerpants might not be in the best position, but he just woke up, and telling him to lay back on his back will not help him or the situation in any way. It's keeping him calm, and he still isn't really sobered up. When the nurse leaves, Mettaton studies Burgerpants's expression, continuing to pet his side. Burgerpants seems aware that it's Mettaton, but he doesn't complain. He just kind of grimaces and hides his face in his paws. He pauses for just a moment, before speaking.  

 

"Darling, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I'm... sorry. For once, even a star like me isn't sure quite what to say," Mettaton admits. Burgerpants peeks his eyes out from under his paws. Mettaton takes a moment to fix the fur on the top of his head, despite the bandage behind his ear. 

 

"I'm not sure if I am one of the reasons you're here today. I'm... not sure what I would say if I am. I didn't know," Mettaton adds, with a sniff. Burgerpants looks up, tensing. He isn't sure if Mettaton is  lying, being dramatic, or if he is actually upset. He wipes at his eyes, and Burgerpants still can't be completely sure if he is being genuine. Mettaton has plenty of TV Dramas. It wouldn't be too hard to make himself cry. Hell, he can play a convincing crying role even in his more common, "sexy rectangle" form.

 

Mettaton feels absolutely shitty. If Burgerpants came to work today, he was ready to make fun of him for coming in late. He never thought that BP would think to try and overdose or cut himself up. On days where Mettaton feels at his worst, he has his family there for him. His cousins, or Alphys, or the Skeleton Brothers, or Frisk. He even has his fans, if all else fails. He thought that Burgerpants had a family of some sort, even if he wasn't known to have friends. 

 

He just thought it always funny to get a reaction from the orange-furred creature. He thought that BP would understand that he was not being serious in the slightest. He's one of his employees, and his employees are like family to him. That's how they do it on the surface. He feels that by not realizing how bad things were, he let his family down again a second time. The idea of it makes him feel horrible. He didn't want to intentionally harass Burgerpants. Get on his nerves a little, sure, but not actually hurt him in any way. Then again, the fact that he didn't mean to hurt Burgerpants doesn't change the fact that he did, in fact, hurt Burgerpants.

 

Mettaton doesn't know how long they've sat in silence. At some point he had dozed off, sitting on BP's bed and leaning his metallic head against the wall. Burgerpants stayed up, lost in his own thoughts and crying for a while. After a bit, he started to ease up and fall asleep right along with his boss.  

 

This time, Mettaton wakes up after Burgerpants does. The fast-food worker is playing with his phone, being very cautious with his arms so that they do not hurt when he starts playing with the apps on his phone. Mettaton wakes up and rubs at his eyes, looking over Burgerpants. Burgerpants had somehow gotten access to the remote control and had turned on the TV, though he had it on mute. He was just idly looking through some apps. There were a ton of weird games on the (feline?)'s phone. Mostly strange games with fighting and building things. There are a ton of magazine reading apps on his phone, which surprises Mettaton a lot. He never thought the kid read anything. He certainly didn't think that the kid knew absolutely anything about fashion, or anything about design. He never tried hard at anything, so Mettaton just kind of assumed that flipping burgers was just about the only thing the kid was really capable of. Also, being a bush or tree in the performances for Mettaton and his new Band. 

 

Burgerpants realizes that Mettaton is looking over at his phone and turns it off, awkwardly grabbing at the remote. The remote controls both the TV and the bed, and it was attached to the wall. There is absolutely no way for Burgerpants to do anything stupid, like swallowing the batteries of the remote or breaking it apart. It's like a brick. Weirdly enough, the TV speaker is also connected to the remote. Burgerpants has to put the remote close to his ears to hear the TV. His ears are quite sensitive, though, so he just kind of rests it on his collar bones. Also, with the bandage behind one of his ears, it would hurt to prop the heavy remote up against the side closest to it.

 

Wearing the hospital gown, Mettaton notices how... thin Burgerpants is. He certainly isn't healthy. He has a bit of a stomach, but everything else is really tiny on him. He has absolutely no muscle definition. His arms are small, and it takes Mettaton a moment to realize that underneath the fur, he is even more pathetically tiny than how he looks like now. He can't imagine what kind of diet the kid has been on. It can't be anything good for him. It looks like despite the fact that he has been eating, he hasn't been getting any real nutrients into him. It makes his head hurt, just thinking about it. 

 

Was it the weed? Mettaton wasn't stupid. None of the other employees like to rat each other out, but customers are quick to notice when something is out of place. Especially when an employee in full MTT uniform is smoking next to the 'NO SMOKING' signs, getting high on the job and sometimes slurring his speech. It looks like Burgerpants has been spending more time smoking than actually getting nutrients into his tiny body. Mettaton makes a note of that. As a monster, nutrients consist of different levels of magic foods. The more physical matter that a food has, the less healthy it is. It's ironic, because Tea is somewhere in the middle while something like ice cream could be on the completely healthy side of the spectrum. It's completely different to how humans measure nutrients in their own food. 

 

Food spectrum aside, Mettaton would need to make sure that the kid had something to eat. He works behind the counter making fast food, for crying out loud. Mettaton was vaguely sure there must be an employee discount. He did remember to make one, right? Surely he didn’t forget. And, well, if he somehow forgot, he still makes sure all of his employees get breaks to go to the bathroom and eat food, if their bodies require the stuff. Those are usually the breaks that the kid took to smoke instead of get food, which only adds to Mettaton's frustrations. 

 

The media is going to blame everything on him, and the worst thing is that it might actually be some of his fault in the first place. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole story was supposed to be a oneshot. Whoops.


	3. The Patient Feels Like A Zero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What type of animal Burgerpants is might still be up for debate, but in this chapter, I bring up an interesting fact. Cats purr when they are content, when they are dying, and when they are in pain. Some studies have shown that purring helps with healing, stress, staying calm, and helping bones heal and strengthen.

Burgerpants seems pretty unsettled by Mettaton now that he is awake and the drugs are wearing off. He seems more attentive and way less groggy, holding his arms close to his chest and being extremely protective of them. Mettaton keeps his distance, knowing that he really isn't wanted. He can understand why, and he still feels as if this is his fault. He was... really not the best person. He did something similar like this to Alphys. It took him a while to realize it, though. He was glad she never held his bad behavior against him. She is his friend, not just a mechanic or somebody to do just chores and maintenance work for him. That's why he has been so fixated on trying to be around his family more. Doing that on top of all the other work he has been doing has been exhausting, despite his attempts to hide it. 

 

Mettaton doesn't get bags under his eyes, and his face won't get any paler if he hasn't slept. He can't remember the last time he actually had some real sleep, other than the quick nap he fell into a little while ago. His hair can ruffle up a bit, seeing as it is, in fact, made of metal strands. He can comb through them with a magnetic comb, so it isn't that bad to take care of. It's just sucks when his hair gets wet, because then it can literally become quite staticy. He always leaves home with beautiful and large umbrellas with patterns to match his outfits. He would never let media catch him with a bad hair day. 

 

Mettaton and Burgerpants awkwardly just sit next to each other, unsure of what to do it say now that Burgerpants is sober. He isn't delirious or fumbling around. He isn't going to hurt himself in front of Mettaton, or especially in front of any of the staff in the hospital. Mettaton sees some nurses running around some of the rooms, and he can feel his soul sink a little in his chest. 

 

"Hey," Mettaton starts. He isn't exactly sure of what to say, but he is a star, and he considers himself pretty good with improvising conservation's with people he would rather not talk to. Burgerpants's expression changes, which startles Mettaton a bit. It's usually quite funny when his expressions change like that. The robot celebrity can never be quite sure of what expression the creature is going to pull next. Some of his faces defy all known physics, really.  His ears are pointed straight up, his face looking literally quite long. His eyes are settled on the bottom of his face, with a neutral, but startled, expression. At least, that's what Mettaton thinks it is. 

 

"I'm not going to tell you anything stupid. Some people in the media are going to say that 'everybody feels down once in a while.' Or that they 'can't understand why somebody would do this.' The reality is that, after a while of feeling shitty, feeling shitty becomes the norm. Then, because it's the norm, you don't want to tell anybody when you feel even worse. Then eventually, that becomes the norm too. And then it gets to the point where your highs are lows, and your normal state of existence feels even lower, and at your lowest, you don't even want to exist, because you know that at your highest, you still won't be anywhere close to where you were," Mettaton rambles. Burgerpants looks confused. Mettaton doesn't make eye contact. 

 

"I'm not going to ask you why you didn't tell anybody. You certainly wouldn't have told me. She didn't tell me anything either, when she was at her lowest. I didn't even know. Looking back, if I lost her, I wouldn't have known what to do with myself," Mettaton adds, looking over at his pretty, pink boots.  

 

"You must be wondering who I'm talking about. She was the Royal scientist. She is just a scientist now, though she is still very important. She had... made a mistake with an experiment, and things got really bad for her. I had stopped talking to her, obsessed with my new body and my new career. I didn't know she was thinking about kicking the bucket. I didn't think that out of all the people in the world, she would be the one feeling that way," Mettaton adds. Burgerpants isn't really sure what to say. He didn't know that Dr. Alphys felt like he does right now. She seemed too cheery for that. She was quite shy, sure, but she always seemed like she had something important to do. 

 

"So, I didn't do anything, because I didn't know. I went to visit her after the barrier broke, and we hung out for a while. She told me about her new girlfriend, about how she has a new scientist project with Sans, about meeting the king and the queen, and about watching Anime with Frisk. Then she told me that, if she had offed herself like she had been planning, that she wouldn't have seen how beautiful things would be on the surface. So many people look up to her. People view her as a source of hope, and she is working to better both Humans and Monsters. She's... really happy now. One thing she told me is something I want to repeat to you," Mettaton continues, finally managing to make eye contact with his hospitalized employee. 

 

"She said that, at her lowest, she didn't think anything would ever get better for her. She felt like there was nothing to live for. She didn't know that in a few days time, she would have a girlfriend, a lab on the surface, a ton of new friends, and people that send her sweet messages in the mail. She said that, even though everybody said things would get better, she didn't believe them. She thought that it might happen to other people, and not to her. She didn't think anything good *could* happen to her. Then, when she least expected it, things really did get better. She never thought it was possible, but it happened. Maybe you don't think that it is possible either. Just know that, even if you might think I'm lying when I say this, things really will get better," Mettaton finishes. He thinks about giving Burgerpants a gentle pet on the head. Then he realizes that might not be a very good idea, and stops himself. 

 

Burgerpants isn't really sure what to say about that. He just looks down at his feet, letting silence creep over the two of them. Mettaton speaks up again. 

 

"You don't have to say anything, darling. I'm just glad you listened," he replied. Burgerpants is looking at his feet. While Mettaton was talking, his had curled up his knees under his medical gown. Mettaton releases a gentle sigh. Burgerpants just avoids looking over at the celebrity. Mettaton never spoke to him like this before. He's always so eager to make fun of the furry teenager, so Burgerpants really didn't expect him to talk about something kind of personal like that. Was it an apology? Was a suicide attempt really the only thing that would have caused Mettaton to treat him like an actual, monster being?  

 

Burgerpants can't help but try to feel bitter about it. Upset, angry with the idea that Mettaton would treat him like a person now that he was in a hospital. Like they say, nobody talks shit about the dead. And yet, Burgerpants can't find any anger in himself at all. He isn't angry, or upset. He just kind of feels numb. Numbness, everywhere. He feels exhausted. His head is starting to hurt a little. He leans his head against the pillows and takes the TV off of mute. Mettaton gets the signal and doesn't say a word more. 

 

\--- 

 

It's really weird when Mettaton watches a TV show that isn't his own. Most of the time he is rewatching his old material, looking for flaws and ways to change things up and improve things. To make sure that he isn't leaving out something interesting in his newest shows that fans still like. To make sure that he can add interesting things to one of his shows that wouldn't change too much around, while adding something interesting for everybody to enjoy. He is always doing something related to his company. He likes to pretend that it's because he's vain and loves to look at his own face. Well, he is, and that's no lie, but there's so much that even Mettaton can take sometimes. Especially when he doesn't sleep for weeks. 

 

This TV show is weird, but interesting. It's about marrying people that have never met. Why humans seem to love marriage so much is beyond Mettaton. It's a cute concept that changes depending on what part of the overworld the humans come from. Monsters have marriage traditions too, but they're usually for royalty. Royalty are the only ones that have recorded last names, after all. When they got to the surface, many monsters chose their own last names for the humans' legal reasons. Mettaton had gone with Glamour, which apparently confused many humans, who believed that MTT was an abbreviation of his 'full name'.  

 

Burgerpants is absorbed by the TV, which prompts Mettaton to watch along with him. It takes him a while to realize that there is a small rumbling coming from something. He assumes it's from the TV, because it's coming from Burgerpants's chest, and the remote on his collarbones is where the TV speakers are. The sound is very low enough to ignore, but after the show is over, it seems to become louder. 

 

 Mettaton looks over to Burgerpants, to see him looking really uncomfortable. It's not one of those comically uncomfortable faces that he sometimes makes, especially when Mettaton plays music at his burger station. It's a pained discomfort, like something burning or itching. Mettaton finds himself asking the question before thinking through if it's insensitive or not. 

 

"What's that noise from? Is it bothering you?" he asks, looking quite genuinely appalled. Burgerpants replies with an awkward, small laugh. "It's a noise I make when I'm in pain," he replies, with a grimace. Mettaton gently takes the remote and mutes the TV, so he could listen into it better. Burgerpants seems to have quieted it, now self-conscious that Mettaton is listening to his purring.  

 

After some awkward almost-silence, Mettaton finally speaks. "What hurts?"  

Burgerpants replies bluntly. "My wrists. My head. Especially my head," he grumbles. Mettaton has no clue what to do. He isn't a doctor. Burgerpants has an IV. He is on the more complicated end of monsters, organ-wise. It's always hard trying to figure out what a monster really needs.  

"Should I call for a nurse?" Mettaton asks, quite quickly.  

"Nonono-no, I need to... wait. I'm on watch. I don't think they'll just... give me painkillers. I don't... want to bother asking," Burgerpants argues.  

"Darling, you aren't bothering a single person here," Mettaton reassures. "If you need something, at least let somebody know, so they can see if there is anything they can do. If there's not much they can do, then there isn't much they can do, but you won't know until you ask, alright?" Mettaton adds, with his talkshow enthusiasm showing. His voice is a little too loud, so it hurts Burgerpants's head a little. Mettaton quiets, as a silent apology. 

 

Burgerpants hesitates, but finally clicks on the button to call a nurse. His purring increases in volume and he moves his mostly uninjured other arm up to cover his eyes, his head throbbing badly. Mettaton, feeling very bad for the cat...bear....creature before him, reaches forwards and puts his hand on Burgerpants's head. 

 

A nurse walks in quite quickly, which is a bit rare for most hospitals. Burgerpants is a hit of a priority because he is a monster, as well as the fact that he is on watch. The poor kid seems to be tearing up a bit now, though he seems to be hiding it well for now.  

"He said he's got a really bad headache. And his wrists are hurting, too," Mettaton explains. Burgerpants had been drugged up before, but that had been of his own doing. His stomach was pumped and his arm cuts were sutured. His cuts were also bandaged up before Mettaton got here. 

 

"Not a problem. One moment," the nurse starts. He is quite good looking, Mettaton notes. The nurse adjusts some settings, before turning to face them. "The medication will lower the pain, but it will take a little while to kick in," he states. He seems a little starstruck by Mettaton, who winks at him. Well, tries to. It's hard to wink with one eye. The nurse seems really happy with that, anyway, and leaves the room. What a sweetheart. 

 

Burgerpants lets out a groan between his purring. His head keeps on throbbing, and he really feels like complete and utter shit right now. He lowers his arm, his mostly unbandaged arm gently cradling his bandaged one. Mettaton keeps his hand on Burgerpants's head, wanting to help him, but not being sure of exactly what to do. 

 

Damnit. Things will only be awkward if he makes them awkward.  

 

"Where does if hurt, honey?" Mettaton asks. Burgerpants replies with a groan, like a teenager that is trying to avoid talking to his mom. Exactly like that.  

 

"Don't give me that. Where does it hurt?" Mettaton replies, sternly. Burgerpants finally replies, though he doesn't want to move.  

 

"Right behind my ears, but lower," he grumbles, eyes pressed tightly shut. Mettaton scoots a little closer so he can take his hands and rub behind Burgerpants's temples, softly. His purring continues, which Mettaton really hopes doesn't mean that he's still in a lot of pain, so he just keeps running at the kid's temples and hopes that if the pain goes away, the kid will just tell him. 

 

Mettaton just keeps rubbing behind the kid's temples for a while. His face seems to really relax after a while, which leaves him looking surprisingly calm. Mettaton has never really seen the kid look relaxed or sleepy before. He's seen the kid pouting, angry, and high plenty of times, though. He isn't really sure if Burgerpants still has a headache or is just enjoying the contact right now. Mettaton doesn't really care. He's... been a pretty shitty person to this kid. He always convinced himself that it's because the kid deserved it. Now he just feels horrible about it. If the kid is letting him stick around, he should at least try to make up for everything. At least a little. Mettaton feels pretty bad. 

 

After a while, Burgerpants starts to doze off again. There's not much to do in a hospital other than eat, watch TV, and nap, so Mettaton can't really blame him. The kid just kind of nuzzled into his hand into some point, before falling asleep. Mettaton gently removed his hands, before pulling the blanket over his chest and leaving the room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This probably seems really shippy, but I'm trying to push Mettaton into the role of a guardian, not a love interest. Mainly because there will be really cute Nicepants later. Mettamom is the best. Happy New Years, guys.


	4. Hanging By A Thread

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mettaton is sorry. Burgerpants feels cold.

Burgerpants was in the hospital for about two days. It was horrible for him, getting over his pain and having to deal with the fact that the person paying for all of his expenses was one of the people that got him into this mess in the first place. His first, actually conscious day he spent watching TV and taking a lot of naps. Mettaton didn’t come back, which he was thankful for. He wanted to have time to himself, so that he could breathe for a while. Some people from the news wanted to talk to him, but apparently Mettaton went through the trouble of hiring security guards for his hospital room. Burgerpants wanted to feel angry about it, about how only after this, would Mettaton try to treat him somewhat decently. However, he didn’t feel anything at all. His emotions felt like a blank page. He wanted to throw something across the room, or throw some kind of fit, or get upset and cry. However, he can’t feel much of anything. Like it’s hopeless to get all riled up about anything, when his life was so completely meaningless.

 

The food wasn’t too great. They were just giving him soup, jello, crackers, and yogurt. He figured it was because they didn’t want him to eat anything very solid. It was human food, too, so it barely did anything for him. If anything it made him feel slightly queasy. Human food isn’t processed or enchanted with magic, so nothing specifically helped. The only thing that could raise his pathetically low HP of 1 is some sleep. It’s sad really. With 1 HP, it only shows that he barely has any HOPE to lose.

 

At some point near midnight, he asked for some paper and a pen. One of the nurses gave him a cheap, spiral notebook and a pen from the front desk. He spent the night drawing, despite the fact that his hands weren’t very steady. His wrist hurt from moving around, so he was also drawing very slowly. He spent the night reading magazines and writing notes, doodling in his book and finally going to sleep around 4am. He didn’t have any dreams, but that’s fine. At the very least, he didn’t have any nightmares.

 

Even better, he didn’t have to go to work.

 

“Good afternoon, Darling!” a familiar voice calls. God damn it. He spoke too soon. Or, thought to soon? Anyways, Mettaton’s speaking cuts off the rest of his thoughts.

 

“I hope the security kept you safe. Those pesky media outlets. Did you know they’re hiring monsters now? They figure that having monsters conducting interviews will allow for better translations for some of the monster languages. While that is a brilliant and lovely idea, communication and all of that, it is quite annoying to deal with self-entitled media that think we need to answer all of their questions due to the sole fact that they’re _monster-friendly._ Hear that? As if there is some kind of scandal when the only person running anything around here works-“ Mettaton rants, though he abruptly stops himself. Burgerpants looks like he vaguely wants to hit something. His loud, eccentric radio voice quiets. His voice is really soft and careful when he wants it to be, and now would be a good time. His voice was bringing back Burgerpants’s headache, and it was extremely unwelcomed.

 

“Sorry, dear. I’ve just been… dealing with quite a bit. How are you feeling?” he asks, suddenly completely aware that for once in his life, he needed to stop trying to steal the show. His employee was hurt. This was no time to complain about the competition between companies. Burgerpants hides his book on his other side, looking at the ceiling. He really doesn’t want to deal with Mettaton right now. It’s 2 in the afternoon, sure, but he was exhausted.

 

“The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma,” Burgerpants grumbles. He almost laughs a little at his own joke, but Mettaton doesn’t seem to get it. There’s a gleam in his eyes as if he was telling a joke, and Mettaton had to stop himself from giving him a lecture on professionalism. He just lets out a small sigh with a forced smile, which makes Burgerpants uncomfortable. The both of them are genuinely horrible at communicating with each other. Burgerpants just kind of locks everything away, and when he is upset, he tries not to think about it. Mettaton complains about every small thing he doesn’t like, and makes sure something is immediately done when something doesn’t meet his standards. And while he is on a whole other level than Burgerpants, he also pretends that any personal problems he has doesn’t exist.

 

The two of them sit in complete silence for a while, the awkwardness starting to settle in. Burgerpants doesn’t want to talk to Mettaton, because he’s Mettaton, and Mettaton doesn’t want to talk to Burgerpants and accidentally set him off or something. The growling of Burgerpants’s stomach is what breaks the silence, making Mettaton thankful for something to talk about.

 

“Are you hungry? I can get you some food if you would like. Surely this human food hasn’t been helping your condition very much.” Mettaton takes a phone out of his pocket and calls somebody on speed-dial, before Burgerpants can even process what he said. Burgerpants feels genuinely insulted that Mettaton has some sort of chef on speed-dial. Why not just have an actual chef do all of the cooking at the MTT Main Broadcasting Center? Why hire some kid to flip burgers and cook a very specifically shaped steak? Just to have some kid to torment? Burgerpants looks away from Mettaton, sinking into his hospital bed. Mettaton starts to chat away with another monster, ordering something to be delivered to the hospital room as soon as possible.

 

Burgerpants has never wanted to leave a place so badly in his life. He was enjoying some peace and quiet before Mettaton came and decided to ruin everything, as he normally does. Who cares if the superstar is getting him some food? He’s only doing it for the publicity. Probably. The media has been all over him because of this “accident”, and humans love the drama. The security guards are probably specifically there so that Burgerpants won’t badmouth Mettaton to the public. That wouldn’t be good for his reputation. Especially because he has been working for Mettaton since the monsters were still in the underground. Burgerpants hides his face behind his phone, not wanting to give Mettaton any attention. He has a lot of mixed feelings right now. Mettaton isn’t a menace to society, sure, but Mettaton is personally a menace to _him_.

 

After Mettaton hangs up the phone, he has the nerve to sit on the edge of Burgerpants’s bed. Burgerpants takes a moment to look at the curtains on the window. Not the window leading outside, but the window for the hallway. The curtains are completely closed so that nobody can take pictures inside of the room. Burgerpants lets a small, unhappy grumble build up in the back of his throat. He just wants to go home to his filthy apartment. To the clothes on the floor he hasn’t washed in forever. The fabric on the floor next to a broken sewing machine he found off of the side of the street. Maybe he can attempt to make something out of the clothes that don’t fit on him anymore. He used to be quite chubby, but his appetite for food started to diminish a whole lot with his HP lowering so often. Also, his smoking habits always kept his mouth occupied, so he never really felt the need to snack much after that.

 

“…which is how you can tell that the grade of steak is exceptionally fantastic. It’s where I have been supplying our meat since we’ve got on the surface, because of how-“ Mettaton rambles. Burgerpants isn’t paying attention. When did he even start talking? His voice is always so booming and loud that he completely forgot that Mettaton even had an inside voice. Why is he talking about steak? Who cares?

 

“….which is hard because I, personally, have been trying to adjust to all of the strange ‘health and safety’ regulations that the humans have. What do you think?” Mettaton asks, trying to include Burgerpants in the conversation. Burgerpants seems to be zoning out. “Burgerpants?” Mettaton asks, a bit louder this time. Burgerpants’s ears twitch upwards, and he looks over.

 

“Sorry, boss,” he replies, as if trying to hide himself away. He doesn’t want Mettaton trying to talk with him. Mettaton will probably just blab on about different types of makeup or something dumb like that for the next two hours. Mettaton looks a little stressed by how Burgerpants calls him Boss, even though they are outside of work. Burgerpants wonders why. Mettaton, is, in fact, his boss. Just because the setting is different doesn’t change anything. They aren’t equals. He has accepted a long time ago that he will never make it to Mettaton’s level. He will probably die without anybody knowing his name, even. Well, besides that little kid that visits sometimes. The ‘lil weirdo. He always liked the kid, because they were a good listener.

 

“You don’t have to call me boss outside of work. I am just another humble monster, just like you,” Mettaton insists. Burgerpants bursts out laughing.

 

It’s an actual, genuine burst of laughter. His whiskers flicker around and everything. He looks as if he has heard a really hilarious joke. It’s the first time he’s laughed since the suicide attempt, and Mettaton can’t help but feel extremely confused. If Burgerpants had some weed, he would be smoking it right now. He really needs a blaze.

 

“You’re not my equal. Stop pretending to be. I will live and die having never even made a fraction of what you have. I’m just some self-deprecating scrawny kid that flips burgers. Even if I tried to shoot for the stars or whatever I would just end up hurling my body in a blaze into the fucking sun, my magic body being torn apart into dust by a convenient solar flare. I look like the genetic byproduct of a potato and roadkill. I have the competence of a slowly roasting oyster, with the self-confidence of a chestnut being run over by multiple cars on a system of highways,” Burgerpants blurts, his tone sarcastic and cold. Mettaton looks downright shocked. Burgerpants is pretty happy to have offended him. He will have died with that under his belt, at the very least.

 

“Sorry about that, then,” Mettaton manages, after a moment of silence. Mettaton looks vaguely hurt. Burgerpants is offended by that. Isn’t he at least going to stand up for himself? Is he really apologizing? This entire moment seems so fake. Scripted, by Mettaton himself. Maybe if he’s lucky it’s all on camera and will show up on reruns by the time he leaves the hospital. Wouldn’t that be a funny thing to watch. He can see the Broadway headlines now.

Gorgeous robot apologizes to a sentient sack of old lard. #1 Blockbuster, movie tickets all sold out. Hollywood comes down tumbling to the ground. God damn.

 

Burgerpants, understandably upset, decides to ignore Mettaton altogether and turn on his side away from him. It hurts his arm to move like that, but he doesn’t care. It’s all numb and weird anyways. Mettaton gets the hint. “…If you need anything to make your stay here more convenient, please contact me or ask the guards. You don’t need to talk to me if you don’t want to. I get it, I’m not the best person. I know I have apologized, but no amount of glitter I pour on this one can really make it right,” Mettaton says, very suddenly. Burgerpants’s ears twitch. His face looks somehow… smaller. Quite literally and not metaphorically. Mettaton can’t see his face, though.

 

“I run away from my problems with glitter and gold. I get it. But I never intended for this to happen and you know that,” he adds. Burgerpants looks angry, turning around very abruptly.

 

“It’s not always about you!” he yowls, and Mettaton stands up off of the bed. He pauses, taking a moment to gather the situation.

 

“I guess it’s not. Sorry. I know when- I mean, if you don’t want me around, I won’t stay,” Mettaton replies. He takes out a designer bag, that obviously cost a lot of money. He gently puts it on Burgerpants’s nightstand, before leaving quietly. The door closes behind him, and Mettaton goes to pick up the bag.

 

Inside is a collection of designer magazines, with a note from Mettaton. It simply says, “I saw that you liked these. It’s always fun to keep the physical copies! Sorry if I seemed intrusive.”

 

Burgerpants knocks the bag onto the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! I've been busy. Hope this chapter is satisfactory enough.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm honestly sorry about this story. Unlike my other ones on here, I never intended to post this one, so it's not really as... gentle as some of my other fics? I also didn't proofread any of this. That shouldn't really be a surprise.


End file.
